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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. net — after costs
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. content — happy
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. perch — the fish
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. net — in sport
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. mark — a grade
  14. press — newspapers
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. mark — a trace
  17. net — for catching
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. press — to push
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. press — a publisher
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. nail — for a hammer

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com